Local help
Local help for a worn out family caregiver in the St. Louis metro
Every entry below was read on the organization's own website on September 12, 2026. We print a phone number only if we saw it there.
Start with the section that matches where she lives. The Area Agencies on Aging are the front door for most funded help; the lines further down are for the hours when offices are closed. If a page has changed since we checked it, trust the page and tell us.
Start with the Area Agency on Aging
Aging Ahead, Family Caregiver Support Program
Aging Ahead's caregiver page lists in-home respite, adult day services, durable medical equipment, minor home safety modifications, and incontinence or nutritional supplies, all "as funding permits." It serves St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson counties.
Call (636) 207-0847
Verified on agingahead.org, I'm a Caregiver, 2026-09-12.
Aging Ahead, main line
For anything beyond the caregiver program. Its about page gives the same four-county service area.
Call (800) 243-6060
Verified on agingahead.org, About Us, 2026-09-12.
St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (city residents)
The city's agency provides a coordinated system of community-based services for older adults in the City of St. Louis. If her address is in the city, begin here. Its page does not list a respite program by name, so ask what is available.
Call (314) 612-5918, email slaaa@stlouis-mo.gov, or visit 1520 Market, Room 4086, St. Louis, MO 63103
Verified on stlouis-mo.gov, Aging Services, 2026-09-12.
Not sure which agency covers her?
Missouri has ten Area Agencies on Aging. The state's page offers a statewide number for finding the right one.
Call 1-800-235-5503
Verified on health.mo.gov, Area Agencies on Aging, 2026-09-12.
Missouri state programs
Home and Community-Based Services referral
The Department of Health and Senior Services takes an initial referral for in-home services online or by phone. Eligibility is set by the state, not by this page.
Call 1-866-835-3505
Verified on health.mo.gov, Apply for HCBS, 2026-09-12.
Missouri Caregiver Program
Formally the Customized Caregiver Training and Relief Program. It offers caregiver training and relief funds toward costs such as respite, adult day care, counseling and monitoring devices. The rules on its page: she lives in Missouri, you live in the same home, she has a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, and enrollment depends on funding, first come, first served.
Senior Programs 573-526-4542
Verified on health.mo.gov, Missouri Caregiver Program, 2026-09-12.
Lines that answer after hours
United Way 211
Run by United Way 211 of Missouri and Illinois, it offers a round-the-clock connection to resources. Chat and text are staffed Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Dial 211, or call or text 1-800-427-4626. TTY 866-385-6525
Verified on 211helps.org, 2026-09-12.
Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline
Available around the clock, 365 days a year, for information, care planning, local referrals and managing caregiver stress.
Call 1-800-272-3900
Verified on alz.org, Helpline, 2026-09-12.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call, text or chat with a counselor at 988, available 24/7/365, free and confidential. It is for you, not only for emergencies.
Call or text 988
Verified on 988lifeline.org, 2026-09-12.
If your parent is a veteran
VA Respite Care
The VA describes respite as a program that pays for care for a short time when family caregivers need a break, need to run errands or need to go out of town. It can happen at home with a health aide, at an adult day health care center, or in a nursing home, for enrolled veterans who meet the clinical criteria where it is available.
Verified on va.gov, Respite Care, 2026-09-12.
VA Caregiver Support Line
Questions about the Caregiver Support Program, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern.
Call 1-855-260-3274
Verified on caregiver.va.gov, 2026-09-12.
When you need to search wider
Eldercare Locator
A federal service that connects older adults and families to community services by location.
Call 1-800-677-1116
Verified on eldercare.acl.gov, 2026-09-12.
ARCH National Respite Locator
An online search that lists mainly home care agencies, assisted living, and state or community agencies that provide respite.
Verified on archrespite.org, 2026-09-12.
Family Caregiver Alliance online support group
An email-based group for families and other caregivers of adults with chronic conditions, open around the clock, for when a meeting at 7pm is impossible.
Verified on caregiver.org, Support Groups, 2026-09-12.
What we could not verify
St. Louis County's own page for older residents refused our request on September 12, 2026, so no county number appears here. County residents are served by Aging Ahead, listed above. Private in-home care is not on this list because it is not a public program; Medicare's page says it does not pay for long-term care, which is why families usually pay for those hours themselves.